1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a data port and, more particularly, to a multifunction intelligent data port having a computer interface between a digital service network and a utility user's home electronics. The invention further relates to remote utility meter reading and remote load management.
2. Related Art
A customer of an electric company typically has an electric meter located at the customer's structure or site of distribution of electrical power. The customer's structure may be, for example, the customer's home or office. The electric meter is owned by the electric company and is installed in a meter box, which holds the electric meter. The meter box may be provided and owned by the building owner, the utility or the landlord.
The prior art includes a number of references that disclose utility meters with associated electronics.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,453 issued to Parasekvakos et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses an apparatus for remote meter reading, wherein a remote unit, preferably located inside a house, periodically initiates a telephone call to a utility company and communicates power usage information.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,632 issued to Frew et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a utility meter having a CPU, a display, and associated circuitry which may be located in the conventional meter location. Frew also discloses a remote unit located inside the house which displays the meter information and allows the customer to pay his bill by credit card. The remote unit communicates with the CPU over the house's power lines. The meter in Frew can be read by a meter reader either through the house's power lines or via optical coupling at the meter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,957 issued to Selph et al, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a utility meter using a microprocessor-based circuit and Hall effect current sensors to measure power usage. In Selph, the meter may be read by either remote interrogation via a telephone link or serial communication. Selph also discloses a networked submetering arrangement useful in apartment buildings and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,995 issued to Bonner et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a remote meter reading apparatus which is designed to retrofit existing electric meters with a transponder capable of communicating power usage information to the electric company over the electric power distribution system.
It is also known in the art to utilize a house's power lines for communication between a variety of devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,517 issued to Mandel, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a central system for controlling remote devices over a house's power line. A central control unit is plugged into a wall outlet for communicating over the power lines with remote units which are also plugged into wall outlets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,862 issued to Campbell et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses an appliance control system wherein a data transmitter communicates with slave units over a house's power lines by using digital address and operation signals. In Campbell, the data transmitter and various slave units are plugged into wall outlets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,939 issued to Mansfield, Jr., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a circuit for communicating over a house's power lines in which extension telephones are connected to a conventional electrical wall outlet. A master station connector is plugged into a wall outlet and is also connected to the telephone line to facilitate full duplex communication between the extension telephones and the house's telephone line.
It is further known in the art to provide digital network services to a house. U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,980 issued to Reynolds et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a multiple service system which delivers a variety of services to a subscriber over telephone lines. The services disclosed in Reynolds include remote meter reading and load management. In Reynolds, a subscriber data subsystem is placed in the subscriber's house and communicates with peripheral devices over a subscriber data bus. The subscriber data bus is accessed via dedicated wiring and separate data service wall jacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,191 issued to MacFayden et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a house wiring arrangement for controlling the distribution of energy and communications within a house. MacFayden provides a gateway terminal as an interface for communicating outside the house over the public telephone network or power lines.
An article entitled “Country Road Warrior” and written by Todd Lappin, published in the August 1995 issue of WIRED on pages 46 and 50, incorporated herein by reference, discloses an electric company which provides digital network services to its customers using conventional communication technology over a coaxial cable network. The network was installed for remote meter reading and later adapted to deliver high-bandwidth data services.
None of the prior art discloses a utility meter or data port which provides an interface between a digital service network and home electronics.
In Parasekvakos, Frew, Selph, and Bonner, the electronics associated with the utility meter are directed primarily to meter reading functions.
In Mandell, Campbell, and Mansfield, communication over the power lines is directed primarily to communication with devices within the house. Also, in Mandell, Campbell, and Mansfield, a separate “master” unit must be located inside the house and plugged into a wall outlet.
In both Reynolds and MacFayden, a house must be wired with a special wiring configuration to accommodate the specific bus structures and communication methods disclosed. Reynolds and MacFayden also require some type of interface unit located inside the house. The network described by the Lappin article does not use a computer in the meter as an interface with the digital network, but rather requires installation of a special jack for connection to the network.